Thursday 31st December 2015 (New Years Eve) has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the CENTRAL, North Central, South West, Wimmera and
West and South Gippsland
weather districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01am on Thursday, 31st December 2015
until 11:59pm Thursday, 31st December 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district (which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach
40 degrees and
strong northerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Friday 25th December 2015
- 24/12/2015

Friday 25th December 2015 (Christmas Day) has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the CENTRAL, North Central, South West and Wimmera
weather districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01am on Friday, 25 December 2015
until 11:59pm Friday, 25 December 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district (which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 35 degrees and
strong northerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

Santa is coming to town on Christmas Eve - 22/12/2015

Santa
will be teaming up with firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade this Christmas Eve as he travels around in a fire truck
to visit all of the children in and around the town.

Parents should be advised that this years annual Santa run will
commence from 3.15pm on Christmas Eve and is likely to conclude
by approximately 6.00pm. During this time, Santa and his team of
helpers will endeavour to visit all of the roads and streets within Riddells Creek. If required, further details on Santa's journey
around the town can be sought by calling the fire station on 5428
6000.

- -
- - - - -

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Sunday 20th December 2015
- 20/12/2015

Today, Sunday 20th December 2015 has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01am on Sunday, 20 December 2015
until 11:59pm Sunday, 20 December 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district today
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 39 degrees and
strong north westerly winds will result in Extreme Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Saturday 19th December 2015
- 18/12/2015

Today, Saturday 19th December 2015 has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01am on Saturday, 19 December 2015
until 11:59pm Saturday, 19 December 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district today
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 40 degrees and
strong north westerly winds will result in Extreme Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Friday 18th December 2015
- 18/12/2015

Today, Friday 18th December 2015 has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the Central, North Central,
Wimmera and South West weather districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01am on Friday, 18 December 2015
until 11:59pm Friday, 18 December 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district today
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 37 degrees and
strong north westerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

Upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meetings
in Riddells Creek
- 3/12/2015

Residents in Riddells Creek are invited to attend one
of two Bushfire Preparation Meetings which are taking place during
December and January.

The free bushfire information meetings will take
place at the following times and locations:

The meetings will last around 1 hour and will cover
the essential things you and your family need to know about living
in a high bushfire risk areas. Like all of CFA's FireReady meetings,
these meetings will be specifically tailored to the needs of our
local community.

For added comfort, anybody wishing to attend either meeting should also BYO chair.

Please note that CFA postpone all community meetings
when the
Fire Danger Rating is Severe, Extreme or Code Red, so it would
be worthwhile checking the Fire Danger Rating on the day of either
of these meetings.

- -
- - - - -

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Wednesday 25th November 2015
- 25/11/2015

Today, Wednesday 25th November 2015 has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the Central, North Central, Northern Country, North
East, Mallee,
Wimmera, South West and West and South Gippsland weather districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01 AM on Wednesday, 25 November 2015
until 11:59 PM Wednesday, 25 November 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district tomorrow
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 33 degrees and
strong north westerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

- -
- - - - -

New! Fire Restrictions
commence Monday 9th November 2015- 5/10/2015

As of
1am on Monday 9th November, fire restrictions will come into effect
across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Hume City Council areas.

Residents from Riddells Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded
that burning off in the open air without a written permit from the
council will be prohibited from 9th November. Unless removed
earlier, restrictions will be in place until 1 May 2016.

In
addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are also
a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming summer
months and details relating to these restrictions can be found in a
copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

New! Be sure to drop by and see us at the
Riddells Creek Village Street Festival- 7/11/2015

In years
gone by, our annual Bushfire and Emergency Services Expo was the
premier event for people living in the Macedon Ranges to receive all
of the latest bushfire preparation advice and ideas.

This
year the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade will not hold a Bushfire
Expo, but instead we will shift our attention to having an
impressive display at the Riddells Creek Village Street Festival.

The
festival will take place along Station Street from 4pm on
Saturday 28th November, thanks to the Riddells
Creek Neighbourhood House.

When
visiting the festival this year, be sure to drop in to grab the
latest tips for preparing your home, family, pets and livestock for
bushfire. A team of our local firefighters will be on hand to give
you the right advice to all of your bushfire questions.

And
don’t forget… this will be your best opportunity to talk
‘bushfire safety’ with us this summer!

Tomorrow, Tuesday 6th October 2015 has been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the Central, North Central, Northern Country, Mallee,
Wimmera and South West weather districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01 AM on Tuesday, 6 October 2015
until 11:59 PM Tuesday, 6 October 2015.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district tomorrow
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 35 degrees and
strong north westerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger
in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

-------

Council Local Law lifted to allow landowners to burn
off during October
- 3/10/2015

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is encouraging residents
to clean up their properties earlier this year in preparation for an
earlier and longer fire season.

To assist property owners to do this, burning off
restrictions under Council’s Local Law will be lifted for the month
of October for those residents living on land less than 4,000 square
metres (one acre).

For more information about the lifting of the council
Local Law, click
here:

Funding set to enhance safety and capability of
fire-fighting vehicle
- 3/10/2015

Volunteer firefighters at the Riddells Creek
Fire Brigade were delighted to learn recently that the brigade will
be receiving up to $10,000 to install a state-of-the-art storage
system to one of its firefighting vehicles.

The $10,000 boost will be one of nearly 300 grants
handed out to Victorian emergency service volunteer groups under the
Victorian State Government’s $12.5 million Volunteer Emergency
Service Equipment Program (VESEP).

Under the program, the Government will contribute $2
for every $1 contributed by local volunteer groups from
organisations, including the CFA.

The grant will supplement donations made to the
brigade from the local community and will fund a purpose-built
locker system which will be manufactured and installed on the
brigade’s four wheel drive control vehicle.

The new locker system will enable items of
firefighting equipment to be stored on the vehicle in a safe and
easy-to-access way, which will improve firefighter safety and make
it easier for firefighters to access equipment in a hurry.

“We’ve wanted to design and purchase a purpose-built
locker system for our control vehicle for a number of years and it’s
great that we will now receive some extra funding to allow this to
happen” said Dave Thompson, Captain of the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade.

The four wheel drive ute is owned by the Riddells
Creek Fire Brigade and plays an important role in the command and
control or fires and emergencies, especially at major grass fires
and bush fires. “Purchasing the new locker and storage system for
the rear of the vehicle will make it a lot easier for our
firefighters to find the specific item of equipment they are looking
for. Each piece of equipment will now have a dedicated storage spot
and will be positioned in a place which makes it safe for our
firefighters to lift in and out of the vehicle” said Dave.

The fire brigade is confident that the new locker
system will be installed on the back of the vehicle prior to the
onset of the 2015/16 summer fire season.

Grants will also be provided to the nearby Trentham
Fire Brigade and the Kyneton Fire Brigade Group under the 2015/16
VESEP program.

A number of our volunteers were recognised for their
ongoing contribution to the CFA at our annual mid-year dinner
recently. Over 50 people attended our annual dinner and were treated
to a lovely meal at the Seasons Bistro, Bar and Deli.

Those members who had made a significant contribution
to the brigade during the past year were congratulated with the
following awards:

Peter Gossip - Fire-fighter of the year

Michelle Tinworth - 1st Lieutenants encouragement
award

Corey Tschuck and James Blay – Recruit
Fire-fighter of the Year

The formalities didn't end there, with the
presentation of long service awards to the following brigade
members:

Rod Sinclair - 50 year long service medal

Dawn Ciechomski - 20 year long service medal

Gill Metz - 15 year long service medal

Wendy Chalmers - 15 year long service medal

Michael Hemingway - 15 year long service medal

Marjan Flisar - 15 year long service medal

Brenda Ruth - 15 year long service medal

Jo Thompson - 10 year long service medal

Roger Barrows - 10 year long service medal

Julie Macdonald - 10 year long service medal

Darren Arlow – 5 Year Certificate of Service

Daniel Gauci – 5 Year Certificate of Service

Alanna Bowden – 5 Year Certificate of Service

Community minded running group ensures fire hydrants are in
tip-top condition in Riddells Creek
- 11/6/2015

The network of fire hydrants within the township of
Riddells Creek is set to remain in tip-top condition thanks to the
efforts of a team of runners and walkers from the Riddells Creek
branch of the Macedon Ranges Running Club.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade periodically
undertake programs to audit the condition of fire hydrant plugs and
marker posts throughout the town, but on this occasion the local
running group took it upon themselves to provide this service after
hearing about the ‘Adopt a Hydrant’ campaign.

Over a 3 month period, a team of around 20 runners
and walkers observed the condition of fire hydrants during their
weekly runs around the town. After all of the streets had been
visited, the group submitted their list of their findings to Western
Water to follow up.

“The Macedon Ranges Running Club initiated the
project late last year when we learned of the Adopt A Hydrant
campaign” said Lindsay Sharpe, coordinator of the Riddells Creek
branch. “Western Water then provided us with maps which showed the
location of all of the fire hydrants around the town” said Lindsay.
“It was a great opportunity for many of our runners to visit some of
the quieter streets in Riddells Creek which they otherwise had never
been to before. What a great way to get to know your township” said
Lindsay.

The efforts that the Macedon Ranges Running Club has
saved the volunteers of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade a
significant amount of time. “We were so delighted when the running
club contacted us to say that they had carried out this program on
our behalf” said Dave Thompson, Captain of the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade. “This has been such a wonderful example of a community
group supporting their local fire brigade” said Dave. “Sometimes
it’s easy to forget about the importance of fire hydrants being
easily identifiable and easily accessible. In the event of a major
house fire, most fire trucks will have utilised their full load of
water within the first 2-3 minutes. That doesn’t leave us with much
time to find the nearest fire hydrant and connect our fire trucks to
it” said Dave.

Western Water are equally as delighted by the efforts
of the running club. “We are really pleased to have the running club
as the ‘eyes’ of our Adopt a Hydrant program, checking hydrants as
they make their way around the streets of the Macedon Ranges,” said
Graham Holt, Western Water’s General Manager for Customer and
Community Relations. “We have been working closely with the CFA on
Adopt a Hydrant for many years, and it’s great to get the wider
community involved in this important program” said Graham.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade hope that the actions
of the Macedon Ranges Running Club will inspire others in the
community to ensure that the hydrant nearest to their property is
kept clear, visible and accessible at all times.

Riddells Creek set to play host to Dawn Service this Anzac Day
- 11/4/2015

Residents of Riddells Creek and surrounding districts
are invited to attend a Dawn Service this Anzac Day, which is set to
be the first commemorative service held within the township for many
years.

The service will take place at the War Memorial
Gates, adjacent to the northern end of the Riddells Creek Primary
School, on Saturday 25th April. People attending the service are
asked to be assembled by 5.45am for the service to commence at 6am
Sharp.

“Attendance records for services held at the Memorial
Cross and Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance are set to be broken
this year, especially given the significance of the 100 year
anniversary since the landing at Gallipoli in 1915” said Dawn
Ciechomski, a resident of Riddells Creek and Secretary for the
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade.

“The fire brigade has received a great deal of
support from the local Riddells Creek community during the past few
years and hosting a Dawn Service was one of the ways we can say
thank you to the township” said Dawn.

“Members of the public are encouraged to lay a
wreath, flowers, poppy or a sprig of rosemary as a mark of
remembrance” said Dawn.

There will be a short address, followed by laying of
wreaths, the Ode of Remembrance then the playing of the Last Post
and Reveille. The Service will conclude with the playing of the
National anthems of Australia and New Zealand.

At the conclusion of the service, all attendees will
be welcome back to the fire station to enjoy a “Gun Fire Breakfast”
– all for the low price of a gold coin donation.

Victoria’s fire services, together with Duracell
batteries, are urging all householders to change their smoke alarm
batteries on Sunday 5th April as part of the annual Change Your
Clock, Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries campaign.

Australia's fire and emergency services attended more
than 12,000 residential fires in 2014. In Victoria alone there are
over 3,000 home fires each year.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade respond to house
fires on more than one occasion each year and in many cases, the
homeowners had been made aware of the fires thanks to a working
smoke alarm. "Having a working smoke alarm is such a simple
life-saving device" said Dean Anderson, brigade Community Safety
Manager. "Taking a moment to change the battery over on April 5th
may only take a few minutes, but making the time to do this could
save the lives of you and your family".

As of 1am Monday 30th March, fire restrictions across the Macedon
Ranges Shire Council will come to an end for the 2014/2015
summer period.

Fire Restrictions across Hume City Council will cease next
week on Monday 23rd March, 2015.

Permanent, year-round council by-laws relating to the use of fire
for burning off will remain in place so once the fire restrictions
are lifted but before deciding to light a burn off, residents are
advised to understand the relevant council by-laws. Click here to
visit our Fire
Restrictions page.

New vehicles set to enhance fire-fighting capability at Riddells Creek
- 16/01/2015

We are the proud owners of not one, but three new firefighting vehicles
following a number of changes to our fleet of fire trucks over the last few
months.

After many years of fundraising, the Riddells
Creek Fire Brigade purchased a new ‘Medium Tanker’ late last year to
help protect the local area from bushfire, grassfires and a range of
emergencies. “With a price tag of almost $360,000, the fundraising
effort was certainly a lengthy one and the brigade has the entire
Riddells Creek community to thank for their support and financial
contributions” said Riddells Creek Fire Brigade Captain, Dave
Thompson.

The new 4WD tanker is an additional
vehicle to the fleet of fire trucks here at Riddells Creek and will
certainly increase the brigade’s ability to tackle local grassfires
and bushfires. The new fire truck comes with many new technology
enhancements, including a remote control water cannon fitted to the
front of the vehicle.

But just as we were coming to terms with having
a new fire truck at the station, Riddells Creek was offered the
chance to exchange one of our other fire trucks for a ‘Light
Pumper’. By late November, the deal had been made and our old
'Pumper Tanker' vehicle was destined for the Pyramid Hill Fire
Brigade, north of Bendigo, in exchange for the new Pumper. “The
vehicle swap with Pyramid Hill was a great example of CFA’s
utilisation of its vehicle fleet” said Captain Dave Thompson. “We
have benefited greatly by receiving a vehicle which will better meet
the future needs of Riddells Creek, especially as the township
continues to grow. Similarly, Pyramid Hill now has a 4WD fire truck
which will better serve their nearby rural and farming areas, so the
swap has been a big win for both brigades”.

To cap off the trifecta, the brigade also
recently took possession of a new 4WD Ford Ranger ute which replaces
the vehicle stolen from the fire station during July last year. “The
new ‘Field Command Vehicle’ will assist with managing and
controlling large fires and emergencies and was actually used for
this role as recently as the fires at Kyneton on January 7th,
2015.

Upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meetings
in Riddells Creek - 07/01/2015

Residents in Riddells Creek are invited to attend one
of two Bushfire Preparation Meetings which are taking place during
the next 2 weeks.

The free bushfire information meetings will take
place at the following times and locations:

Wednesday 14th January - 7.30pm - Corner of
Gyro Close and Cutevan Crescent

The meetings will last around 1 hour and will cover
the essential things you and your family need to know about living
in a high bushfire risk areas. Like all of CFA's FireReady meetings,
these meetings will be specifically tailored to the needs of our
local community.

For added comfort, anybody wishing to attend the Gyro
Close meeting should also BYO chair.

Please note that CFA postpone all community meetings
when the
Fire Danger Rating is Severe, Extreme or Code Red, so it would
be worthwhile checking the Fire Danger Rating on the day of either
of these meetings.

Total Fire Bans
- 01/01/2015

With predicted server and extreme fire weather across most of the
state, tomorrow Friday the 2nd of January and Saturday the 3rd of
January 2015 have been declared Total Fire Bans for the Central Fire
Ban District as well as others.

Santa
will be teaming up with firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade tonight (Christmas Eve) as he travels around in a fire truck
to visit all of the children in and around the town.

Parents should be advised that this years annual Santa run will
commence from 3.15pm on Christmas Eve and is likely to conclude
at approximately 6.00pm. During this time, Santa and his team of
helpers will endeavour to visit all of the roads and streets within
Riddells Creek. If required, further details on Santa's journey
around the town can be sought by calling the fire station on 5428
6000.

Fire Restrictions commenced Monday 8th December 2014
- 8/12/2014

As of
1am on Monday 8th December, fire restrictions came into effect
across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council. This is not the case
for the adjacent Hume City Council municipality where fire
restrictions were introduced one week earlier on Monday 1st
December.

Residents from Riddells Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded
that burning off in the open air without a written permit from the
council will be prohibited from 8th December. Unless removed
earlier, restrictions will be in place until 1 May 2015.

In
addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are also
a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming summer
months and details relating to these restrictions can be found in a
copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

The 2014 Bushfire and Emergency Services Expo is now
less than a week away and members of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade
are busily preparing for yet another successful expo.

This year's expo will take place this Saturday
29th November at the Riddells Creek Primary School from 10am to
4pm. This day promises to be an exciting day for the Riddells Creek
community with the Riddells Creek Village Street Festival taking
place from 4pm, followed by a CFA torchlight street march from 7pm
(further details below).

"The large grassfire which threatened the township
during February this year should serve as an important reminder to
all people living in the Macedon Ranges of the risks of grassfire
and bushfire" said Dean Anderson, Community Safety Manager for the
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade. "People living in the Macedon Ranges
are encouraged to learn from what we witnessed last summer and take
the chance to get along to this years expo" said Dean.

The annual expo is believed to be the only one of its
kind in Victoria where the public can have access to everything they
need to plan and prepare for bushfire. For further details about
this years expo visit
www.riddellcfa.com/expo.htm

Torchlight
parade through Riddells Creek - come along to cheer on CFA 26/11/2014

A number of CFA brigades will make their way to
Riddells Creek this Saturday night to participate in a 'torchlight'
marching competition through the town.

The march will commence at around 7.15pm from the
memorial gates on Main Road (near the north end of the Primary
School), then proceed along Main Road to Station Street, then head
along Station Street & Hamilton Street past the train station before
turning into Sutherlands Road.

Make sure you come along to cheer on some of CFA's
local firefighters.

New fire truck to be handed over at Farmers
Market ceremony- 09/08/2014

The new addition to the fleet of Riddells Creek fire
trucks will be unveiled and handed over at a special ceremony at the
Riddells Creek Farmers Market on Saturday 16th August. The market
will run from 9am to 1pm and the handover ceremony will occur at
11am.

After many years of fundraising, the Riddells Creek
fire brigade recently purchased the new fire truck to help protect
the local area from bushfire, grass fires and a range of
emergencies. With a price tag of almost $360,000, the fundraising
effort was certainly a lengthy one and we've got the entire Riddells
Creek community to thank for their support.

Not long after the township was threatened by a
grassfire in February this year, the Riddells Creek Farmers Market
lead the charge to help the brigade raise the last reaming funds.
What happened next was totally unprecedented with in excess of
$30,000 raised.

For this reason, we're excited to be able to showcase
the new fire truck at the Farmers Market next weekend while taking
the chance to say thank you to the wonderful Riddells Creek
community for enabling the new fire truck to be purchased.

Safe Mistake Zone - Home Fire Safety awareness
campaign- 09/08/2014

CFA and MFB have launched a new campaign to help
raise awareness of the little mistakes people can make which may
lead to a home fire.

Home fires can start and take hold within seconds, so
it's vital to pay attention. It's human to make little mistakes, to
forget something or get something slightly wrong.

To find out more about this fun, creative and
interactive campaign, visit
safemistakezone.com.au and get the mistakes out of your system.

Fire brigades will bounce back after callous
thieves break into two local fire stations- 20/07/2014

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade and Bolinda
Monegeetta Fire Brigade woke to the horror news this morning that
their fire stations had been broken into and ransacked overnight.

The Riddells Creek brigade's four wheel drive control
vehicle was among a number of items stolen from the building in the
early hours of Sunday morning. Thieves managed to escape with a
number of items of equipment and unfortunately the vehicle, valued
at around $60,000, was later found as a burnt out wreck near Melton
at around 6.15am.

Victoria Police quickly established a crime scene at
the fire station and spent the afternoon investigating not only this
scene, but also the scene of the Bolinda-Monageetta fire station.
The news comes only a few months after the nearby Darraweit Guim
fire station was burgled in a similar fashion.

Now that we've approached the middle of winter, the
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade are placing added emphasis on the risk
of house fires.

3,800 house fires occurred across Victoria last year
and over 42% of these started in the kitchen.

Some simple fire safety precautions which we can all
take to reduce the risk of kitchen fires include...

Never leave cooking unattended;

Purchase a fire blanket and fire extinguisher and
install them in easily accessible locations. Try to avoid
falling into the trap of leaving them in their packaging or
storing them in hard-to-find places.

Four life
membership recipients have been
honoured at Riddells Creek after
sharing a combined 149 years of
service!

Some of CFA’s
longer serving volunteers were
awarded the Brigade Life
Membership medal at the Riddells
Creek Fire Brigade annual dinner
last night. The newly-developed
award recognises exceptional
service to the Riddells Creek
Fire Brigade for a sustained
period of at least 30 years.

"We are all
extremely grateful to have a
large number of members who have
devoted such a significant
amount of service to the
brigade" said Riddells Creek
Fire Brigade Captain Dave
Thompson. "The newly developed
Brigade Life Membership award is
just a small way we can honour
these members for the service
they've devoted to their
community."

All of the
four recipients are still
significant contributors today
and continue to serve the
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade, the
Mount Macedon Fire Brigades
Group and/or VFBV.

Captain Dave Thompson and District 2 Operations Officer Darren Eenjes had the privilege of presenting the awards to the following deserving recipients:

Rodney Sinclair - 49 years service

Marcus Bootle - 37 years service

Jeffrey Sparks – 32 years service

Don Clark – 31 years service

Fire-fighters & community members efforts
recognised at annual 'night of nights'- 28/06/2014

A number of our volunteers were recognised for their
ongoing contribution to the CFA at our annual mid-year dinner last
night. Over 80 people attended our annual dinner and were treated to
a lovely three course meal at the
Riddells Creek Hotel.

Those members who had made a significant contribution
to the brigade during the past year were congratulated with the
following awards:

Rob Sanderson -
Fire-fighter of the year

Bethany White - 1st
Lieutenants encouragement award

This year we were also joined by some very special
guests who had made significant financial contributions to the
brigade during the past year, especially with respect to helping us
fundraise for the new fire truck. While the annual mid year dinner
has previously been a chance for our volunteers to be recognised for
their efforts, this time we also thanked a number of community
groups for their financial support - each of which were presented
with a Certificate of Appreciation.

The formalities didn't end there with the
presentation of long service awards to the following brigade
members:

As of 1am Monday 14th April, fire restrictions across
the Macedon Ranges Shire Council will come to an end for the
2013/2014 summer period.

Fire Restrictions across Hume City Council are
expected to be in place until 1st May 2014 unless revoked earlier.

Permanent, year-round council by-laws relating to the
use of fire for burning off will remain in place so once the fire
restrictions are lifted but before deciding to light a burn off,
residents are advised to understand the relevant council by-laws.
Click here to visit our Fire Restrictions
page.

Brigade biennial elections results in a few
changes to our leadership team -
10/04/2014

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade decided on the future
structure of its leadership team at its biennial elections earlier
this week.

As a result of the elections, a small number of
changes will take place to the composition of the brigades
management team (or BMT) when the changes take effect from the
beginning of July.

The CFA requires all fire brigades to elect their
team of officers and managers on a two-yearly basis and the results
of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade elections held this week were:

Captain:
Dave Thompson

1st Lieutenant: Tom
Morley

2nd Lieutenant: Michael
Hemingway

3rd Lieutenant: Gill
Metz

4th Lieutenant: Mark
White

Communications Officer:
Rob Sanderson

Secretary:
Dawn Ciechomski

Treasurer:
Ruary Bucknall

Community Safety Manager: Dean Anderson

Training Manager: Jo
Thompson

Equipment Manager:
Marcus Bootle

Catering & Support Manager: Louise Hemingway

FEM Officer: Don Clark

We would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate and welcome Mark White, Rob Sanderson and Jo Thompson
to their new roles.

We also thank and acknowledge the efforts of former
Lieutenant Martin Leitch, Communications Officer Ben McConville and
Training Manager Jason Males for the many hours they selflessly
devoted to the brigade by performing these roles.

Victoria’s fire services, together with Duracell
batteries, are urging all householders to change their smoke alarm
batteries on Sunday 6th April as part of the annual Change Your
Clock, Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries campaign.

A new fire safety survey has found 38 per cent of
Victorian/Tasmanian family homes have only one smoke alarm installed
and 28 per cent sometimes disconnect their smoke alarm or take out
batteries to prevent false alarms.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade respond to house
fires on more than one occasion each year and in many cases, the
homeowners had been made aware of the fires thanks to a working
smoke alarm. "Having a working smoke alarm is such a simple
life-saving device" said Dean Anderson, brigade Community Safety
Manager. "Taking a moment to change the battery over on April 6th
may only take a few minutes, but making the time to do this could
save the lives of you and your family".

Tuesday 11th March 2014 been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the Mallee, Wimmera, South West and Central fire
weather districts.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from 12.01am until
11:59pm Tuesday 11th February 2014.

Tomorrows
forecast weather conditions will result in
Very High
Fire Danger in the Central district. For further advice on what to
do on days of
Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

Upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meeting in Riddells Creek-
20/02/2014

Residents in Riddells Creek are invited to attend an
upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meeting which will take place on
Wednesday 26th February, 7.30pm at the Riddells Creek Primary
School.

Riddells Creek and Gisborne South witnessed the
largest fire in over 30 years when a fast moving grassfire destroyed
2,500 hectares and 5 houses on Sunday 9th February.

“It was a stark reminder that we all need to have a
bushfire plan if we live in a rural area” said Dave Thompson,
Captain of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade. “Not only in the bush
area, but in the grasslands as well. This fire spread with such
speed that waiting until the fire started was really too late” said
Dave.

Given the proximity of the fire to the township of
Riddells Creek, CFA have since received a number of enquiries from
local residents for advice on how to prepare for similar fires in
the future.

The session will last around 1 hour and will cover
the essential things you and your family need to know about living
in high risk bushfire and grassfire areas.

Please note that CFA postpone all community meetings
when the
Fire Danger Rating is Severe, Extreme or Code Red, so it would
be worthwhile checking the Fire Danger Rating on the day.

Riddells Creek community digs deep to help
fundraise for new fire truck - 20/02/2014

The sense of community in the town of Riddells Creek
is stronger than ever after the Farmers Market helped raise over
$25,000 for the brigade at last Saturday's market.

Fundraising to purchase a new $360,000 fire truck has
been a long term project for the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade and
with only a further $30,000 left to go, the Farmers Market set out
to make this their goal.

It was because of the cohesiveness between the
Farmers Market, the fire brigade and the vast array of community
groups in Riddells Creek that an outstanding $25,000 was raised last
weekend.

“The project to purchase a new fire truck has been 10
years in the making and thanks to the fantastic efforts of the local
community, we are now able to purchase this vehicle to protect them
24/7” said Dave Thompson, Captain of the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade. “It was an amazing effort in such a short time, with all
the different community groups, especially the Farmers Market,
coming together to raise the funds needed” said Dave. “The truck has
now been ordered and will be in service before next summer to not
only serve Riddells Creek, but help to protect many other nearby
communities”.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade really appreciate the
many kind donations and offers of support which we have received in
the past 2 weeks. A special thank you goes to committee members
Meagan Upsher, Amanda Johnston, Lisa Moore, Paul Upsher and Ali
Bant.

A sample photo of the new fire truck is shown below,
along with photos of last weekends Farmers Market.

The township of Riddells Creek came under threat from
a fast moving grassfire yesterday as high temperatures and strong
winds fanned a number of fires across the state.

At 11.43am yesterday morning the brigade initially
responded to a grassfire at Dalrymple Road, Gisborne. Strong south
westerly winds saw this fire travel very quickly in a north easterly
direction towards Riddells Creek.

After crossing Settlement Road West and Riddell Road,
the spread of the fire was halted at Campbells Road and Sutherlands
Road in Riddells Creek. The fire is currently CONTAINED but further
work will be done today to ensure all hot spots are extinguished.

Community Meetings:
There are 2 community meetings being held to inform residents about
the fire. Both are to be held today the 10th of February at the
Riddells Creek Leisure Centre on Sutherlands Road Riddells Creek.
The first meeting is at 2pm and will run for approximately an hour.
The Second will be held at 6pm and again will run for approximately
an hour.

There will be representatives from the CFA, Council,
Police and Welfare agencies.

Please keep a watch on this page, the
Emergency Vic website and our
Facebook page for further information about community meetings.

Emergency Warnings and Watch and Act messages were
issued during the course of the fire but these were later downgraded
as the fire activity subsided. An "ADVICE" message currently remains
in place. For up to date information and advice on this fire, visit
www.emergencyvic.com.au

Losses: Early estimates
indicate the fire burned 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) of private
property. There are unconfirmed reports that two(2) houses have been
lost and a number of out buildings have also been destroyed.

Firefighting resources:
At the peak of the fire fight, approximately 120 fire trucks were
working to control the fire, along with firefighting aircraft which
included "Delilah" the aircrane. A number of "strike teams" or task
forces travelled significant distances to Riddells Creek, some of
which included fire trucks from the MFB and DEPI.

Road closures: A number
of roads were closed during the fire, including the Calder FWY and
Riddell Road. The Calder FWY is now open but with speed restrictions
in place. Riddell Road and Campbells Road remain closed. For updates
on road closures, visit:
http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/

Train services:

Emergency Relief Centres:
An Emergency Relief Centre has been established at the Gisborne
Community Centre, Hamilton Street Gisborne, for residents displaced
by the fire. For more information about the relief centre, visit:
http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au

Community Meetings:
There are 2 community meetings being held to inform residents about
the fire. Both are to be held today the 10th of February at the
Riddells Creek Leisure Centre on Sutherlands Road Riddells Creek.
The first meeting is at 2pm and will run for approximately an hour.
The Second will be held at 6pm and again will run for approximately
an hour.

There will be representatives from the CFA, Council,
Police and Welfare agencies.

Please keep a watch on this page, the
Emergency Vic website and our
Facebook page for further information about community meetings.

Other tips and advice:
After yesterdays fire it is hard to know what to do. Firstly check
yourselves, your property, any animals and also check in on your
neighbours. Try to keep your regular routine and ask for help if it
is needed.

The Riddells Creek fire brigade along with other brigades will be
out through the fire zone again today blacking out any hot spots and
ready to respond to any new fires if required.

If travelling through the fire zone (many roads still
closed) please be mindful of livestock and animals on the roads. If
you do not have a reason to be in the fire zone please remain away
as you could hinder the efforts of the emergency services and locals
trying to recover the area. As always if you see a fire call Triple
Zero ( 000 ) and report it in the normal way. Please don't call for
smoke in the area.

TFB Double Whammy
- 07/02/2014

At 10:45am this morning the CFA have declared a Total
Fire Ban for the whole state for both Saturday the 8th of February
and Sunday the 9th of February in site of the horrific weather
conditions predicted and the resources committed at the current
fires burning.

Saturday, 8 Feb 2014 has
been declared a day of Total Fire Ban for the whole State of
Victoria. No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the
open air from 12:01 AM on Sat, 8 Feb 2014 until 11:59 PM Sun, 9 Feb
2014.

Sunday, 9 Feb 2014 has
been declared a day of Total Fire Ban for the whole State of
Victoria. No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the
open air from 12:01 AM on Sat, 8 Feb 2014 until 11:59 PM Sun, 9 Feb
2014.

Everyone in the state of Victoria should be vigilant
over the next 72 hours and aware of their own circumstances.

Please
visit the
CFA website
for further information on Planning and Preparing.

Please visit the
CFA website
for further information on Restrictions and Bans

IMPORTANT FIRE WEATHER WARNING:
- 06/02/2014

This weekend temperatures are expected to reach the
low 40s with high winds (particularly Sunday) and low humidity. Fire
ratings are expect to reach EXTREME during this period. You MUST
ensure that you have prepared yourself and your family ahead of
these conditions. Victoria will battle fires during this period.
Don't be caught out unaware. Take action before a fire begins
near you.

Please
visit the
CFA website
for further information on planning and preparing.

TOTAL FIRE BAN - MONDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2014
- 2/2/2014

Monday 3rd February 2014 been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air until 11:59pm Monday 3rd
February 2014.

Expected
weather conditions tomorrow will see temperatures up to 36 degrees.
These conditions will result in Very High
Fire Danger in the Central district. For further advice on what to
do on days of
Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

TOTAL FIRE BAN - SUNDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2014
- 2/2/2014

Sunday 2nd February 2014 been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the Central, North Central and South West fire weather
districts.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from 12.01am on Sunday
2nd February until 11:59pm Sunday 2nd February 2014.

Expected weather
conditions today will see temperatures up to 39 degrees. These
conditions will result in Very High
Fire Danger. For further advice on what to do on days of
Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

TOTAL FIRE BAN - TUESDAY 28th JANUARY 2014
- 27/1/2014

Tuesday 28th January 2014 been declared a day of
Total Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from 12.01am on Tuesday
28th January until 11:59pm Tuesday 28th January 2014.

Expected weather conditions tomorrow will see
temperatures up to 39 degrees and strong northerly winds ahead of a
gusty wind change later in the evening. These conditions will result
in
Severe
Fire Danger. For further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger,
please visit the
CFA website

Upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meeting in Riddells Creek-
16/01/2014

Residents in Riddells Creek are invited to attend an
upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meeting which will take place next
Wednesday 22nd January, 7.30pm at the corner of Sandy Creek Road &
Gyro Close.

Next weeks meeting follows a very successful meeting
which saw over 52 residents come along last night to the Gap Road
meeting.

The session will last around 1 hour and will cover
the essential things you and your family need to know about living
in a high bushfire risk areas. Like all of CFA's FireReady meetings,
the meeting will be specifically tailored to the needs of our local
community.

For added comfort, anybody wishing to attend should
also BYO chair.

Please note that CFA postpone all community meetings
when the
Fire Danger Rating is Severe, Extreme or Code Red, so it would
be worthwhile checking the Fire Danger Rating on the day.

TOTAL FIRE BAN - FRIDAY 17th JANUARY 2014
- 16/1/2014

Friday 17th January 2014 been declared a day of Total
Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

The existing Total Fire Ban for today will remain in
place tonight and no fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight
in the open air from until 11:59 PM
Friday 17th January 2014.

Expected weather conditions tomorrow will see
temperatures up to 44 degrees and strong northerly winds ahead of a
gusty south westerly wind change later in the evening. These
conditions will result in
Severe
Fire Danger. For further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger,
please visit the
CFA website

TOTAL FIRE BAN - THURSDAY 16th JANUARY 2014
- 15/1/2014

Thursday 16th January 2014 been declared a day of
Total Fire Ban for the whole state of Victoria.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from until 11:59 PM
Thursday 16th January 2014.

For further advice on what to do on days of Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

TOTAL FIRE BAN - WEDNESDAY 15th JANUARY 2014
- 14/1/2014

Wednesday 15th January 2014 been declared a day of
Total Fire Ban in the Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern
Country, North Central, Central and the West and South
Gippsland districts of Victoria.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from until 11:59 PM
Wednesday 15th January 2014.

For further advice on what to do on days of Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

TOTAL FIRE BAN - TUESDAY 14th JANUARY 2014
- 14/1/2014

Today, Tuesday 14th January 2014 been declared a day
of Total Fire Ban in the Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern
Country, North Central, Central (includes Melbourne and Geelong) and
the West and South Gippsland districts of Victoria.

No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in
the open air from from 12:01 AM on Tuesday
14 January 2014
until 11:59 PM Tuesday 14 January
2014.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district
tomorrow (which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 43
degrees and this will result in Very High Fire Danger in this
area.

For further advice on what to do on days of Very High
Fire Danger, please visit the
CFA website

Upcoming Bushfire Preparation Meetings in Riddells Creek-
07/01/2014

Residents in Riddells Creek are invited to attend one
of two Bushfire Preparation Meetings which are taking place during
the next 2 weeks.

The free bushfire information meetings will take
place at the following times and locations:

The meetings will last around 1 hour and will cover
the essential things you and your family need to know about living
in a high bushfire risk areas. Like all of CFA's FireReady meetings,
these meetings will be specifically tailored to the needs of our
local community.

For added comfort, anybody wishing to attend should
also BYO chair.

Please note that CFA postpone all community meetings
when the
Fire Danger Rating is Severe, Extreme or Code Red, so it would
be worthwhile checking the Fire Danger Rating on the day of either
of these meetings.

2013
News

TOTAL FIRE BAN - SATURDAY 28th DECEMBER 2013 -
27/12/2013

Saturday 28th December has been declared a day of Total Fire
Ban for the most of Victoria, including the CENTRAL fire weather
district.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01 AM on Saturday 28 December 2013
until 11:59 PM Saturday 28 December 2013.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district tomorrow
(which includes Riddells Creek) are expected to exceed 38 degrees
and strong west to north westerly winds will result in Severe Fire Danger in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

Santa
is coming to town on Christmas Eve

- 24/12/2013

Santa
will be teaming up with firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade tonight (Christmas Eve) as he travels around in a fire truck to
visit all of the children in and around the town.

Parents
should be advised that this years annual Santa run will commence
from 3.00pm on Christmas Eve and is likely to conclude at
approximately 6.00pm. During this time, Santa and his team of
helpers will endeavour to visit all of the roads and streets within
Riddells Creek. If required, further details on Santa's journey
around the town can be sought by calling the fire station on 5428
6000.

Fire Restrictions commenced Monday 23rd December 2013
- 23/12/2013

As of
1am on Monday 23rd December, fire restrictions came into effect
across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Hume City Council
municipalities. Residents from Riddells
Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded that burning off in the
open air without a written permit from the council is now
prohibited. Unless removed earlier, restrictions will be in
place until 1 May 2014.

In addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are
also a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming
summer months and details relating to these restrictions can be
found in a copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

As of
1am on Monday 23rd December, fire restrictions will come into effect
across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Hume City Council
municipalities. Residents from Riddells
Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded that burning off in the
open air without a written permit from the council will be
prohibited from Monday 23rd onwards.

Residents in the Macedon Ranges should also familiarise themselves
with the shires new Local Laws which came into effect on October 1st
this year which places a year-round restriction on burning off in
the open air on properties less than 1 acre (4000 square meters).

In addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are
also a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming
summer months and details relating to these restrictions can be
found in a copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade will be
home to one of CFA's mobile training props for the next 8 weeks.

The portable training container is one of three mobile training
props designed to replicate a fire in various
training scenarios including a car fire in an open garage; a house
training prop that features a kitchen and lounge room; and the third
unit which imitates a small industrial scenario.

The prop has been allocated to the Mount Macedon Fire Brigades Group
for the next eight weeks and will be used by various fire brigades
during this period.

Brigade members
honoured at National Medal ceremony- 30/11/2013

Six fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were awarded
the National Medal at a special ceremony at the fire station this
afternoon.

CFA board members Michael Tudball AFSM and Peter Harmsworth AO
attended the ceremony to award the medals to our six very worthy,
long-serving volunteers which included (pictured L to R below);

Nick Tschuck

Chris McColley

Toby Tresise

Dawn Ciechomski

Terri Boydle

Peter Gossip

The National Medal is Australia's most awarded civilian medal and
recognises long and diligent service of at least 15 years.

Drop in to say hello this Sunday - 22/11/2013

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade will be one of over 200 CFA brigades
which will open its doors to the public this Sunday, November 24th.
If you weren't able to drop by to the Bushfire & Emergency Services
Expo last weekend, you're welcome to make a visit this Sunday from
10am to 12pm.

Whether you have a general interest in the equipment and work which
we perform, or whether you would like to know more about how to
volunteer with CFA, don't hesitate to visit us.

Planning for the 2013 Bushfire and Emergency Services Expo is in
full swing and members of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade are busily
preparing for yet another successful expo.

This year's expo will take place on Sunday 17th November at
the Riddells Creek Primary School from 10am to 3pm. "The devastating
NSW bushfires which have occurred during the past week should serve
as an important reminder to all people living in the Macedon Ranges
of the risks of bushfire" said Dean Anderson, Community Safety
Manager for the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade. "People living in the
Macedon Ranges are encouraged to learn from what we're witnessing in
NSW and take the chance to get along to this years expo" said Dean.

The annual expo is believed to be the only one of its kind in
Victoria where the public can have access to everything they need to
plan and prepare for bushfire.

Fire-fighters from
Riddells Creek & Macedon Ranges head north to NSW bushfires-
23/10/2013

As the NSW bushfire crisis intensified last week, fire-fighters from
the Macedon Ranges answered the call for help. A CFA strike team
comprising fire trucks and fire-fighters from District 2 (which
includes Riddells Creek) headed for NSW on Friday and by Saturday,
these crews were tasked with the role of back burning.

After battling the fires for three days, the initial CFA fire crews
prepared to head home early this week and by Monday a fresh team of
fire-fighters from Riddells Creek, Gisborne, Mt Macedon and Woodend
flew to Sydney to take over.

Today's dangerous weather conditions saw our local
fire-fighters positioned at Hartley Vale, near Lithgow, on stand by
to protect life and property. It's expected that this crew will
return home on Friday.

New Macedon Ranges
Local Law No.10 sees tougher restrictions on burning off-
22/10/2013

Earlier this month the Macedon Ranges Shire Council introduced a new
set of Local Laws (Local
Law No. 10). The new set of laws
covers a range of activities that impact on the amenity of our
community, such as animal keeping, activities on roads and streets,
consumption of alcohol in public places, street furniture, and in
particular...burning off and lighting fires.

One of the major changes to these laws sees an all-year-round
restriction placed on lighting fires in the open air on properties
smaller than 1 acre (4,000 square meters). The new law which
was enacted on 1st October 2013 states that residents living in the
Macedon Ranges "...must not, without a permit, light a fire in
the open air on land, including in an incinerator, where the land
size is less than 4,000 square metres".

However in a
media release issued by council today,
the new burning off restrictions
that were recently introduced will be lifted during the month of
November for those residents living on land less than 4,000 square
metres. This will enable landowners to prepare their property for
the fire season

Now that we've approached the middle of winter, the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade
are
placing added emphasis on the risk of house fires.

3,800 house fires occurred across Victoria last year and over 42% of
these started in the kitchen.

Some simple fire safety precautions which we can all take to reduce
the risk of kitchen fires include...

Never leave cooking unattended;

Purchase a fire blanket and fire extinguisher and install them
in easily accessible locations. Try to avoid falling into
the trap of leaving them in their packaging or storing them in
hard-to-find places.

Fire-fighters welcome
safety enhancements made to one of our fire trucks-
10/07/2013

After being away for nearly 4 weeks receiving safety upgrades, the
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade welcomed the return of one of its front
line fire trucks on Friday.

Our "Pumper Tanker" (pictured below) received a protective spray
system, heat shielding panels and protective heat curtains inside
the cabin as a part of a state wide program to retrofit these safety
features to over 900 CFA fire trucks across Victoria.

Since 2006, these safety features have been a standard inclusion in
CFA's new fire tankers. These features were credited for saving the
lives of a number of CFA fire-fighters who's trucks became trapped
during the 2009 Black Saturday Fires. As a result of the
investigations into those trucks which became entrapped, it was
recommended that all pre-2006 fire trucks be retrofitted to a
similar safety standard.

A number of our volunteer members were recognised for their ongoing
contribution to the CFA at our annual mid-year dinner recently. On
Friday 28th June, over 60 people attended our annual dinner and were
treated to a lovely three course meal at the
Riddells Creek Hotel.

Those members who had made a significant contribution to the brigade
during the past year were congratulated with the following awards:

Daniel Gauci - Fire-fighter of the year

Steve Taylor - Recruit fire-fighter of the year

Michelle Tinworth - 1st Lieutenants encouragement award

We would also like to congratulate the following members who
received a long service award:

Don Clark - 30 year long service medal

Peter Gossip - 30 year long service medal

Tom Morley - 10 year long service medal

Lachlan White - 5 year Certificate of Service

Take care while
drying clothes indoors this winter-
12/06/2013

During the next few months the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade will be
placing added emphasis on the risk of house fires.

3,800 house fires occurred across Victoria last year and the most
common causes included:

Accidents or distractions from cooking in the kitchen;

Fireplace and heater related accidents;

Electrical faults;

"As
we progress deeper into the winter months, many families will have
no option than to dry their clothes indoors" said brigade Community
Safety Manager Dean Anderson. "Particular attention should be given
to ensuring that clothes drying racks are placed no closer than 1m
from heaters or fire places". Additionally, people should always
clean the lint filter in their dryer every time they use it.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade wishes to advise that a planned b
urn off will take place along the rail reserve near Websters Road
and Sutherlands Road this Saturday, 27th April.

At the request of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, the brigade will
be conducting the ecological burn off between 2pm and 5pm this
Saturday (weather permitting). Nearby residents and road users could
expect to see smoke coming from from this area during these times.

One man dies after ute and truck collide on Kilmore Road
-
18/04/2013

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were called to the scene of a nasty
collision involving a ute and truck this morning on Kilmore Road
between Yaamba Road and Mt Eliza Road.

Firefighters from Riddells Creek and Bolinda-Monegeetta were called
to the accident just before 9.20am and joined forces with police,
ambulance and SES personnel to treat the injured. Unfortunately one
man died at the scene after a truck collided with the ute he was
driving. A further car was also involved in the crash.

Kilmore Road was closed for almost 11 hours while Victoria Police
personnel investigated the cause of the crash. CFA personnel also
remained in attendance at the scene for the 11 hour period until the
vehicles could be towed away at around 8pm. [Photo below courtesy of
the Herald Sun]

Supermarket damaged after early morning fire -
17/04/2013

Residents of Riddells Creek woke to the news this morning that the
Foodworks supermarket had been damaged by fire overnight.

CFA
crews from Riddells Creek, Gisborne and Sunbury were called to a
fire within the supermarket shortly before 3am this morning.

Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control quickly and
then shifted their attention to ventilating smoke from the building.
5 fire trucks and a Breathing Apparatus support vehicle from Sunbury
were at the scene until around 4.30am.

The
cause of the fire is being treated as suspicious and is currently
being investigated by Victoria Police.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade today joined forces with the
Riddells Creek Football and Netball Club to cheer on their teams in
the opening round of the 2013 season.

An invitation to the brigade to attend the Round 1 clash against
Diggers Rest was generously made by club president Jason Allen.

A team of five of our fire-fighters took up the invitation and were
there to cheer on the Under 18's, Reserves and Senior football teams
as they took on Diggers Rest. Throughout the day we were well looked
after by everyone at the club and made to feel very welcome.

Fortunately all three football teams were able to secure a win but
our crew managed to miss the second half of the seniors match after
being called to attend an out of control burn off near New Gisborne.

Despite having to leave in a hurry, we would like to extend a big
thank you to Jason Allen and everyone at the Riddells Creek Football
& Netball Club for your hospitality and support. More information
about the club can be gained by visiting the club website at
www.riddell.sportingpulse.net or check out the club Facebook
page at
www.facebook.com/riddellfnc

As of
1am Monday 8th April, fire restrictions across the Macedon Ranges
Shire Council came to an end for the 2012/2013 summer period.

Fire
Restrictions across Hume City Council will end at 1.00am on
Monday 15th April 2013.

Permanent, year-round council by-laws relating to the use of fire
for burning off will remain in place so once the fire restrictions
are lifted but before deciding to light a burn off, residents are
advised to understand the relevant council by-laws. Click here to
visit our Fire Restrictions page.

Volunteer firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade helped
to raise a total of $2172 towards this years Royal Children's
Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Volunteers today gave up their time to
collect donations from shoppers at Webbers Garden Centre and the
Riddells Creek Bakery. This effort could not have been made possible
if it weren't for the ongoing support from the team at Webbers, the
dedication of our volunteers and the shoppers who gave up their
loose change on the day.

Victoria’s fire services, together with Duracell batteries, are
urging all householders to change their smoke alarm batteries on
Sunday 7th April as part of the annual Change Your Clock, Change
Your Smoke Alarm Batteries campaign.

A new
fire safety survey has found 38 per cent of Victorian/Tasmanian
family homes have only one smoke alarm installed and 28 per cent
sometimes disconnect their smoke alarm or take out batteries to
prevent false alarms.

The
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade respond to house fires on more than one
occasion each year and in many cases, the homeowners had been made
aware of the fires thanks to a working smoke alarm. "Having a
working smoke alarm is such a simple life-saving device" said Dean
Anderson, brigade Community Safety Manager. "Taking a moment to
change the battery over on April 7th may only take a few minutes,
but making the time to do this could save the lives of you and your
family".

For
more information on the recommendations for smoke alarm usage
visit
www.changeyourbattery.com.au. If you require assistance changing
your smoke alarm battery, please don't hesitate to call us on 5428
6000.

TOTAL FIRE BAN - Wednesday 27th March 2013 -
26/3/2013

Wednesday, 27th March 2013 has been declared a day of Total Fire Ban
for the Mallee, Wimmera, South West, Northern Country,
Central and North Central districts.

No
fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air from
from 12:01AM on Wednesday 27th March 2013
until 11:59PM Wednesday 27th March, 2013.

Temperatures within the Central fire weather district (which
includes Riddells Creek) are expected to reach 34 degrees but strong
northerly winds gusting up to 60km/hr will result in Severe
Fire Danger in this area.

For
further advice on what to do on days of Severe Fire Danger, please
visit the
CFA website

Shoppers at yesterdays monthly Farmers Market have collectively
helped to raise over $1000 towards our current fundraising effort to
purchase a new fire truck. The Riddells Creek Farmers Market
committee generously dedicated this months market to the fire
brigade once they learned of our current initiative.

Committee members Lisa Moor, Amanda Johnson and Meagan Upsher were
the driving force behind the idea and together they helped to
advertise the market, organise raffle prizes and collect the
proceeds from stallholders.

Lisa, Amanda and Meagan (pictured below) met with Captain Dave
Thompson this morning to officially hand over the proceeds from
yesterdays market.

All of us at the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade are extremely grateful
for the lengths that the Farmers Market went to in order to raise
awareness about our truck campaign. Our gratitude also extends to
those who bought a raffle ticket or made a donation on the day.

Yesterdays market also saw a guest appearance from "Beeper", the
Smoke Alarm, who took the chance to remind shoppers to change their
smoke alarm battery at the end of daylight savings this year.

We need your support to help purchase a new fire truck- 21/2/2013

Readers of this years brigade newsletter will be aware that over the
past few years we have been working really hard to fundraise for a
new brigade owned fire truck, a 4WD Medium Tanker (pictured below).
This fire truck will increase our capacity to respond to fires
within our local area & to also support our immediate neighbouring
brigades.

With
an additional fire truck available in the event of major bushfires,
the brigade will be in a better position to maintain excellent fire
coverage to our local area.

To
date we have been able to raise a considerable amount of money
thanks to your help, however the purchase price remains just out of
reach and we’re seeking donations to help us reach our target.

CFA is scaling down its commitment to the
Kerrie Collerys Lane which has been burning near Kerrie since
Saturday afternoon. The fire has now been contained thanks to
favourable weather conditions yesterday and the hard work put in by
over 100 CFA and DSE firefighters to strengthen control lines around
the fire.

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade had committed
one of its firefighting tankers and its 4WD control vehicle to the
fire since it first began on Saturday and thankfully these vehicles
returned home to Riddells Creek at 8pm last night.

CFA will be holding a Community Information
Meeting at the Romsey Community Hub/Library, Main Street Romsey at
6pm tonight (Tuesday 12th February).

CFA and DSE crews will work throughout the day
today to strengthen control lines around the Kerrie Collerys Lane
fire burning near Kerrie and Romsey. CFA firefighters from Riddells
Creek have been in attendance at the 60 hectare bushfire since it
began late on Saturday afternoon and continue to provide assistance
for both day and night shift deployments.

Yesterdays windy weather saw fire behaviour
intensify within the perimeter of the fire and a spot fire near
Kerrie Valley Road and Shannons Lane burned up to 8 hectares before
being controlled. As a result of this spot fire, CFA issued a Watch
and Act warning to residents in this area late yesterday afternoon.

We are pleased to advise that the "Advice"
warning for Kerrie Collerys Lane fire has been revoked for the area
of Riddells Creek, but still remains in place for the communities of
Hesket, Kerrie and Rochford.

CFA and DSE firefighters will continue to work
through the night to bring the fire under control.

CFA and DSE firefighters will work throughout the night to
control a fire burning in bushland near the intersection of Romsey
Road and Kerrie Valley Road, Kerrie. The fire is currently estimated
to have burnt up to 60 hectares of bushland after staring at 4.30pm
this afternoon.

At the peak of the fire fight, approximately
40 CFA and DSE vehicles worked to contain the fire, along with 4
aircraft (including the Erikson Aircrane from Ballarat). The
aircraft have now left the fire for the evening due to poor
visibility and two bulldozers will now work throughout the evening
to construct a control line around the perimeter of the fire. Some
of the 35 CFA appliances are now beginning to return home but a
number of resources will remain at the fire overnight.

A"Watch and Act" warning remains in place for
this fire for residents in Kerrie, Cherokee and Riddells Creek and
residents should keep informed throughout the evening via any of the
following methods...

Tune into ABC local radio on 774 AM, or
designated commercial or community radio stations for further
updates.

The photo was taken from the
Bolinda-Monegeetta area at approximately 7.30pm this evening.

KERRIE - RIDDELLS CREEK FIRE UPDATE: 5.50pm -
9/2/2013

CFA are currently working to control a bushfire burning near Kerrie
Valley Road, Kerrie. As at 5.40pm, 25 fire trucks are working with
aircraft to contain the fire which is burning in bushland in private
property.

For
further advice and updates, please visit the
CFA website or phone the bushfire information line on 1800 240
667.

If you are not
prepared, leaving bushfire prone areas early in the day is your
safest option.

Be aware of local conditions and seek information by
listening to your emergency broadcasters, go to cfa.vic.gov.au
or call the
Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.

- See more at:
http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/about-fire-danger-ratings/#sthash.o5J013Ya.dpuf

Brigade saddened by the passing of one of its own members - Geoff
Thorpe - 15/1/2013

It is with great sadness that the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade advises the death of brigade member Geoff Thorpe.

After a brief but brave battle with cancer, Geoff passed
away peacefully in the early hours of Friday (11/01/2013)
with his family by his side.

Geoff joined the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade in 2006 and
since then has been a valued firefighter and contributor to
the brigade and the local community. Geoff was one of our
valued and respected volunteers who was always willing to
put his hand up to do those often thankless tasks. His
commitment and loyalty to his fellow CFA colleagues is
something which we will always remember him for.

A funeral service will be held this Friday, 18/1/2013 at
11am at the Church of England, Melvins Road, Riddells Creek.

On behalf of the members of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade,
we offer our deepest sympathies to wife Julie and to Geoff's
family and friends.

2012
News

Fire Restrictions commenced Monday 10th December 2012
- 14/12/2012

As of
1am on Monday 10th December, fire restrictions came into effect
across the Macedon Ranges Shire Council and Hume City Council
municipalities.

Residents from Riddells
Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded that burning off in the
open air without a written permit from the council is now
prohibited.

In addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are
also a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming
summer months and details relating to these restrictions can be
found in a copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

CFA fire fighters from Riddells Creek and surrounding fire brigades
were called to a 2 hectare grassfire on Melbourne-Lancefield Road
south of Clarkefield this afternoon.

The fire started in private property near Clarke Court shortly after
2.30pm and upon the initial arrival of fire fighters from the
Sunbury and Clarkefield fire brigades shortly after, it was evident
that additional fire crews would be required to gain control of the
fire.

A total of 19 CFA fire trucks worked to contain the fire which was
being fanned by strong winds. Fire fighters were called upon from
Sunbury, Clarkefield, Riddells Creek, Wildwood, Bolinda-Monegeetta,
Bulla, Greenvale, Craigieburn, Diggers Rest and Toolern Vale.

Today's grass fire reinforced the high risk of grassfires that will
exist this summer. Today wasn't overly hot, but the strong wind
certainly increases the speed and intensity at which grassfires can
travel.

6 people lucky to survive car accident near Monegeetta -
8/12/2012

CFA, SES, Police and Ambulance crews responded to a nasty two
vehicle car accident at the intersection of Kilmore Road and Mt
Eliza Road near Monegeetta shortly after 12.15pm this afternoon.

Upon arrival, emergency services were confronted with a family
people mover laying on its side and leaning against another vehicle
in the middle of the intersection.

The people mover was carrying a family of 5 at the time of the
accident and despite the vehicle rolling a number of times before
coming to rest, all of the occupants were able to climb free from
the vehicle prior to the arrival of the emergency services.

The driver of the other vehicle required further assistance from SES
and Ambulance Victoria personnel in order to be freed from the
wreckage.

Paramedics treated 4 people at the scene before transporting them
with non-life threatening injuries to the Royal Melbourne and Royal
Children’s hospitals.

In what is a notorious time of the year for serious road accidents,
all road users are reminded to take it easy and concentrate when
travelling to and from Christmas and New Year celebrations over the
coming weeks.

A new place to hang our protective clothing -
22/09/2012

22 fire fighters at the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade now have a new
location to store their protective clothing, thanks to the efforts
of a number of volunteers who took part in a refurbishment
project completed today.

Earlier this year, volunteer fire fighters at the brigade took part
in a survey to investigate ways in which the storage of their
personal protective clothing (PPC) could be improved.

While nearly half of the members of the brigade were able to store
their uniform in a designated storage room, it was identified that
the remaining fire fighters experienced difficulties in being able
to neatly hang and dry their uniform in their former storage area
and so the project to improve this storage area was born.

The project began by decommissioning the former locker-style storage
system, as well as the refurbishment of two existing clothing racks
that had been donated to the brigade a number of years ago. To
enable the clothing racks to be transformed into something which
would could hang 2 x helmets, 2 x jackets and 2 x pairs of
protective pants for each firefighter,
MAAB Constructions manufactured purpose-built storage hooks
which were fitted to the refurbished racks.

The project wouldn't have been possible without the money
donated annually by the Riddells Creek community. Thanks to your
generous support, a number of our firefighters will now find it
quicker and easier to get dressed when responding to the call for
help.

Three drivers were lucky to have survived a nasty car accident
involving three vehicles on Riddell Road near Palmer Road this
afternoon. Police, Ambulance, CFA and SES crews were responded to
the accident shortly after 2.45pm and once on scene, all agencies
worked together to treat the injured and clear the road.

One of the vehicles involved in the collision was found to have two
LPG tanks fitted beneath the car's chassis and concerns were held
over the integrity of the cylinders. In order to prepare the vehicle
for towing, a crew of specialist firefighters from the Gisborne Fire
Brigade were called upon to assess the condition of the LPG
cylinders.

New financial year marks the beginning of a new leadership
team -
01/07/2012

Today marked the beginning of a new era for the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade with a number of changes taking place to composition of the
brigades management team (or BMT). The CFA requires all fire
brigades to elect their team of officers and managers on a
two-yearly basis and the results of the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade
elections held during April 2012 can be summarised as follows:

Captain:
Dave Thompson

1st Lieutenant: Martin Leitch

2nd Lieutenant: Jo Thompson

3rd Lieutenant: Tom Morley

4th Lieutenant: Michael Hemingway

Communications Officer: Ben McConville

Secretary:
Dawn Ciechomski

Treasurer:
Ruary Bucknall

Community Safety Manager: Dean Anderson

Training Manager: Jason Males

Equipment Manager: Marcus Bootle

Catering & Support Manager: Louise Hemingway

FEM Officer: Don Clark

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you and
acknowledge the efforts of former Captain Toby Tresise and former
Lieutenants Nick Tschuck and Chris McColley for the many years of
leadership which these members selflessly devoted to the brigade and
to the Riddells Creek community over the years.

Acknowledgement should also be given to those other volunteer
members who have stepped down from their former managerial roles
within the brigade and we wish the new team of officers, managers
and leaders all the very best for the next two years ahead.

Pilot lucky to be alive after plane crash in Riddells Creek
- 17/04/2012

A 66 year old pilot is lucky to be alive after his ultralight plane
crashed into a remote gorge near Riddells Creek this afternoon.

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were called to the
reported plane crash near Websters Road shortly after 1.45pm today after an eyewitness reported seeing
the plane plummet from around 1000ft in the air and crash into a
steep gorge south of Riddell Airfield. It is believed the home-made,
single-seater aircraft had just taken off from the Riddell Airfield
only moments earlier.

On arrival at the airfield, emergency service personnel desperately tried
to locate the scene of the crash site and before long, the wreck was
located on the south side of the gorge near Palmers Road. Accessing
the crash site from the north side of the gorge would prove to be
difficult so in order to reach the scene as quickly as possible, the
Sunbury Fire Brigade were called upon to approach the crash from the
south.

Vehicle access to the crash site was also limited due to the steep, rocky
terrain and the likelihood that the larger emergency vehicles could
become bogged in the softer ground conditions near the bottom of the
gorge. To overcome the access issues and to reduce the risk of fire,
an Ultralight Tanker from the Bullengarook Fire Brigade was
responded.

“This incident highlights the challenge of responding to aircraft
accidents in difficult terrain. After encountering some difficulty
while trying to locate the crash site, we were limited in the type
of vehicles that could access the site” said Lieutenant Martin
Leitch from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade.

CFA, SES, Police and Ambulance personnel worked together to free the pilot from the wreckage before
treating the 66 year old for head and wrist injuries. The patient
was then flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious but
stable condition. Lieutenant Leitch added “This incident was a great
example of how seamlessly the emergency services can work together
towards achieving a common goal. In this case we had a successful
result with the pilot surviving what could have been a very serious
accident”.

Riddell Airfield is one of two major airfields which are located within
the response area serviced by the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade. Given
the high number of aircraft which fly into and out of these
airfields each year, firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade are all too familiar with responding to aircraft incidents.
Over the years, there have been several serious aircraft crashes in
the area and as such, a number of firefighters from the brigade
received specialist aircraft-accident training during
2009.

(Photos below are courtesy of the Macedon Ranges Weekly)

Smoke alarm saves family from Gisborne house fire -
12/04/2012

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were called upon
to assist the Gisborne, Macedon and Sunbury Fire Brigades at a large
house fire in Bruce Court Gisborne at around 6am this morning. A
Gisborne family of 4 were lucky to escape unharmed thanks to the
working smoke alarm which alerted them to the fire.

When
firefighters arrived at the scene, the house was fully consumed by
fire and flames could be seen coming through the roof of the
building. Unfortunately there was little that CFA crews could do to
save the double storey home.

Firefighters remained on scene throughout the morning to extinguish
the remaining hotspots and to assist with the investigation into the
cause of the fire.

Volunteer firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade helped
to raise over $1800 towards this years Royal Children's Hospital
Good Friday Appeal. Volunteers today gave up their time to collect
donations from shoppers at Webbers Garden Centre and the Riddells
Creek Bakery. This effort could not have been made possible if it
weren't for the ongoing support from the team at Webbers, the
dedication of our volunteers and the shoppers who gave up their
loose change on the day.

Did you change you smoke alarm battery when you changed your clock
on Sunday morning? - 3/04/2012

During the late hours of Saturday night and early Sunday morning,
all Victorians will no doubt have taken a moment to adjust their
clocks to mark the end of daylight savings. But how many homeowners
took this opportunity to change their smoke alarm battery?

Now
that daylight savings has ended for the 2011/2012 summer, all home
owners should have already changed their smoke alarm batteries to
ensure that these lifesaving devices will alert them in the event
that there is a fire in their home.

There
are around 11,000 house fires across Australia each year but
unfortunately around 50 people die as a result of these fires.
Working smoke alarms can provide a vital early warning of a fire in
your home. A family in Riddells Creek were recently woken at 4am to
the sound of their smoke alarm operating. A fire in their hot-water
service caused the alarm to sound and gave the family enough time to
leave the building and dial 000. The outcome could have been very
different if the smoke detector hadn't alerted them of the fire.
More details about changing your smoke alarm battery can be found at
www.changeyourbattery.com.au

A serious car accident marks the end of a busy day for Riddells
Creek -
2/04/2012

Volunteer firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were
kept busy today after being responded to 3 separate emergencies in
the space of 12 hours. Firefighters from Riddells Creek were called
to the Gisborne IGA supermarket shortly before 6.30am this morning
to investigate a plume of smoke in the building. Three fire crews
from the Gisborne Fire Brigade investigated the cause of the smoke
and determined the source to be coming from the plant room. By
1.40pm, our firefighters were heading back to Gisborne to
investigate a smoke detector which was operating at the Oaks Nursing
home.

Firefighters from the Bolinda-Monegeetta and Riddells Creek fire
brigades then attended the scene of a car accident on the
Melbourne-Lancefield Road near Clarkefield at around 6.15pm this
evening. Police, ambulance and SES personnel were also at the scene.
Three vehicles had collided near the Bolinda bridge and the
occupants from one of the vehicles had to be cut from the wreckage.
Traffic on the Melbourne-Lancefield had to be diverted along
Websters Road while emergency crews treated the occupants of the
vehicles and cleared the scene.

Fire Restrictions end on Monday 19th March 2012 -
17/03/2012

As of
1am Monday 19th March, fire restrictions across the Macedon Ranges
and Hume City Council areas will come to an end for the 2011/2012
summer period. Healthy rainfall during late February and early March
has helped to increase moisture levels in the grass and forest fuels
across most of Victoria which in turn, has lead to the earlier than
anticipated end to the fire season.

Permanent, year-round council by-laws relating to the use of fire
for burning off will remain in place so once the fire restrictions
are lifted but before deciding to light a burn off, residents are
advised to understand the relevant council by-laws. Click here to
visit our Fire Restrictions page.

Local fire-fighters lend a hand at hazardous chemical leak at
Portland -
21/2/2012

Fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek, Macedon and Woodend fire
brigades today returned home from a two-day deployment to a
hazardous materials emergency near Portland. At approximately 2.45pm
on Saturday afternoon, the Portland Fire Brigade were responded to a
leak from a 300 tonne liquid pitch tank located at the Port of
Portland in the state’s south-west. Liquid pitch is a bitumen
substance that is heated to 200°c.

The magnitude of emergency and the threat that
the chemical leak could pose to nearby residents, businesses and the
environment was soon realised and before long, the severity of the
emergency had been escalated to such an extent that specialist
emergency services resources and personnel would soon be calledto assist from all over Victoria.

As the emergency entered its second and third day, a request was
made to the fire brigades in the Macedon Ranges area to provide
additional fire-fighters who have been trained in the use of
Breathing Apparatus (BA). 2 fire-fighters from Riddells Creek
answered the call for help and returned home this evening.

Grass fire threatens home in Tranter Close -
14/2/2012

8
fire appliances and up to 30 fire-fighters battled to save a home
from a grass fire at Tranter Close near Kilmore Road this evening.
The emergency call for a fire in a paddock was received at around
5.25pm and when fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade
arrived shortly after, a request was made for additional fire crews
to be responded from the nearby Bolinda, Gisborne, Clarkefield and
Hesket-Kerrie fire brigades.

The
swift action taken by the initial crews prevented the fire from
damaging a nearby home and contained the fire to an area of
approximately 2 acres. The cause of the fire is being investigated
by police.

Are you prepared for bushfire this summer? Now's the time to
prepare! - 30/1/2012

A
Fire Ready Victoria meeting will take place at the Tree Tops scout
camp on Thursday 9th February from 7.30pm. The meeting will provide
a snapshot of CFA's key advice to landowners who live in high fire
risk areas while also addressing the importance of preparing your
property and developing a written bushfire survival plan. The
township of Riddells Creek has been identified as one of Victoria's
high fire risk areas and as a result of the recent hot and dry
weather, the threat of bushfire to an area like this cannot be
ignored.

Residents who live in the township itself, or on the outskirts of
Riddells Creek are urger to prepare for bushfire by developing a
written Bushfire Survival Plan.

Each summer, CFA deliver a range of community education programs to
assist residents in preparing for bushfire or grassfire and the
upcoming Fire Ready Victoria meeting is an example of one of these
programs.

For
further information about the meeting or to address any other
questions and bushfire preparation and planning, please contact Dean
Anderson at the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade on 0401-080-369 or email
dean.anderson@members.cfa.vic.gov.au

At
12.30pm today, fire-fighters from the Riddells Creek and Gisborne
fire brigades responded to a grass fire at a property on Campbells
Road, Riddells Creek. The small fire was extinguished soon after the
arrival of the fire brigade and these efforts prevented the spread
of the fire to nearby properties.

Works
being carried out in dry grass was determined to be the cause of the
fire. This fire, combined with the recent hot weather, should come
as a reminder to all Victorian residents that fire restrictions are
now in force in most areas of the state and that these restrictions
place limitations on what types of machinery, vehicles and tools can
be operated during the Fire Danger Period.

A
number of provisions exist when carrying out these kind of works
during the summer months, so before you get out there to slash your
paddock, use a grinder or welder or even start the chainsaw, check
the details of these restrictions in the online copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

Fire-fighters practice their pumping skills -
8/1/2012

As we
get further into the summer months, the risk of bushfire and
grassfire becomes all the more real and with this, comes the need
for our local fire-fighters to ensure that their practical and
theoretical skills are up to date and well rehearsed.

Fire-fighters from Riddells Creek today spent a few hours during
their weekly training timeslot to practice the process known as
'Draughting' which involves pumping water from a lake, dam or
swimming pool.

Most
fires which occur in the town area can often be extinguished by
sourcing water from the network of fire hydrants, but in the
more rural areas of Riddells Creek, fire hydrants are few and far
between and with this comes the need to be able to fill up the fire
trucks from static sources of water.

Volunteer fire-fighters from Riddells Creek practice their skills
(such as draughting on this occasion) from 10am to 12.30pm
every Sunday morning to ensure that they can perform these tasks
safely, efficiently and effectively when responding to real fires or
emergencies. Click below to view some of the photos taken at today's
training session.

2011
News

Fire Restrictions commenced Monday 26th December 2011 -
26/12/2011

As of
1am this morning, fire restrictions for across the Macedon Ranges
Shire Council and Hume City Council came into force.

Residents from Riddells Creek and the surrounding areas are reminded
that burning off in the open air without a written permit from the
council is now prohibited.

In addition to the regulations relating to burning off, there are
also a number of other restrictions that apply during the coming
summer months and details relating to these restrictions can be
found in a copy of CFA's
Can I or Can't I guide.

Due to the rain and lightning which gripped Riddells Creek earlier
this evening, unfortunately Santa had no option but to abort his
annual drive around the town to hand out bags of lollies. The safety
of Santa and his helpers was paramount in making the decision to
call off the tour around the town shortly after 4pm this evening.

Santa apologises for needing to head off earlier than expected and
assures us that he looks forward to coming back again this time next
year though.

Sunbury Grassfire sparks the beginning of a dangerous grassfire
season -
7/12/2011

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were called upon
to help battle a grassfire on Vineyard Road near Sunbury this
afternoon. The fire, which started at around 4pm, soon took hold and
additional fire trucks were called upon to stop the spread of the
fire.

At the peak of the firefight, up to 15 fire trucks from around the
local area were battling the fire.

Firefighters from Sunbury, Diggers Rest, Wildwood, Clarkefield,
Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Greenvale, Bulla and Toolern Vale were
able to prevent any property damage and managed to contain the fire
to the paddock.

Traffic on Vineyard Road was closed in both directions during the
fire. A selection of photos from the fire have been included below
(Click each photo to enlarge).

Bushfire Education Day 2011 - 19/11/2011

Despite the rainy weather, up to 100 residents from around the
Macedon Ranges took the chance to visit Bushfire Education Day at
the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade today. The day featured a number of
short, bushfire safety presentations, as well as two Fire Ready
meetings. The annual event is an integral part of brigades bushfire
safety program to the Riddells Creek community.

A date for next years event will be chosen in the coming months and
a selection of photos from the day is included below (Click each
photo to enlarge).

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade have welcomed a
number of safety modifications made to its frontline bushfire
fighting appliance recently. As a part of a current statewide
retrofit program, "Riddells Creek Tanker" received a number of
engineering modifications to enhance firefighter safety in the event
that the fire truck be trapped during a bushfire or grassfire. The
changes include a water spray system which directs water along
all of the external surfaces of the fire truck, including the walls,
windows and tyres.

Pull-down curtains designed to reflect radiant heat were fitted in
the cabin and the deck area to provide further protection to
firefighters. Additional panels were fitted to the fire truck to
provide further heat resistance to vulnerable areas including the
pump area and the battery compartment.

Riddells Creek Tanker is the frontline fire truck used for grass
fires and bushfires by firefighters at the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade. This fire truck is also often called upon to fight some of
Victorias larger fires including recent examples such as the 2009
Black Saturday fires at Kinglake, as well as fires at Halls Gap,
Anakie and the north east alpine areas of Victoria.

A selection of photos day is included below (Click each photo to
enlarge).

Car accident closes Kilmore Road - 5/10/2011

Kilmore Road was closed to traffic in both
directions this evening following a car accident involving two
vehicles near the Mt Charlie Road intersection. Firefighters from
the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade were responded to the accident
shortly after 5.30pm and Police, SES and Ambulance crews were also
in attendance. One of the drivers was transported to hospital while
the driver of the other vehicle was treated at the scene by
ambulance personnel.

Kilmore Road was closed to traffic in both
directions for around one hour. Police are investigating the cause
of the accident.

Lounge room fire at Racecourse Road -
24/07/2011

At approximately 3.30pm this afternoon
the
Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade were responded to a lounge room fire at an address in
Racecourse Road, Riddells Creek. Fire-fighters from the Riddells
Creek Fire Brigade were supported by additional fire-fighters
from the Gisborne and Sunbury fire brigades.

The team of approximately 20 fire-fighters and 5 fire trucks were
able to quickly bring the fire under control and limit the spread of
the fire through the remainder of the building. A number of
specialist fire-fighting resources were also utilised which included
the use of a thermal imaging camera and a ventilation fan to remove
excess smoke from the building.

An ambulance also attended the scene to treat a resident believed to
have been suffering from exhaustion and anxiety. The exact cause of
the fire is still under investigation but initial signs indicate
that the fire may have been started by items being placed too close
to a wood heater.

Today's fire should serve as a timely reminder to all residents who
have heaters of any type that items such as clothing, wood and paper
should be kept well clear. Residents are also urged to ensure they
never leave cooking, heaters, open fires or candles unattended.
Further information about this example and other home fire safety
advice can be found at:
www.homefiresafety.com.au

Fire destroys art room at New Gisborne Primary School -
28/05/2011

At approximately 8pm this evening,
the
Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade were responded to a structure fire at the New Gisborne
Primary School. Up to 55 firefighters and 9 fire appliances from
Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Macedon and Sunbury battled the fire which
extensively damaged the art room building.

Firefighters carried out both internal and external attacks on the
blaze and managed to bring the fire under control within about 1
hour.

Fire crews will spend the night extinguishing pockets of the fire
and carrying out clean up operations.

The fire is estimated to have caused at least $500,000 in damage and
the cause of the fire will be investigated in the morning.

Riddells Creek Fire Brigade Recruiting Now! -
20/05/2011

The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade is about to commence its annual
recruitment campaign for 2011. Have you ever thought about joining
the Brigade or wondered how you could contribute to the Riddells
Creek community by making a real difference? Well, getting to know a
little bit more about your local fire brigade may just be the
answer. The Riddells Creek Fire Brigade is made up with a membership
of 100% volunteers. That means that we need people like you 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week to ensure that we continue to provide this
essential emergency service to Riddells Creek and its surrounding
communities. The Brigade is running an information evening at the
Station to gain an expression of interest from prospective
operational and non-operational members on Monday 27 June 2011 at
7pm. Please contact Alex Batty on 0439 952 306 for further
information or to register your interest in attending the session.
We look forward to seeing you there.

New
Communications officer - 12/05/2011

At the
brigade April meeting the brigades membership voted for a new
communications officer after the resignation of Ross Hall our
previous communications officer when he moved away from the
district. The elected member was Terrie Boydle who has held the
position previously and will make excellent officer in this roll
until the brigades general elections next year. We congratulate
Terrie and Thank Ross for his years of service not only as
Communications officer, but also as a member of the Riddells Creek
Fire Brigade.

Members awarded for service - 30/04/2011

On
Saturday 9 April 2011 three brigade members were awarded VFBV
Certificates of Service at the Rural State Championships at Werribee
Mansion. The VFBV Certificates of Service are awarded to individuals
who have served the VFBV or the former Fire Brigade Associations for
over 20 years.
The brigade members are:
Rod Sinclair - Rodney has served the Association for a period
exceeding 20 years. Rodney’s service has been with the Region 14
volunteer associations as a brigade and group delegate for over 30
years and most recently as a brigade delegate to the District 2 VFBV
Council and President of the Macedon Ranges VFBV LGA.
Marcus Bootle - Marcus has served the Association for a period
exceeding 20 years. Marcus’ service has been with the Region 14
volunteer associations as a brigade delegate for over 20 years and
also service the Urban State Championships as a competitor for 4
years.
Terri Boydle - Terri has served the Association for a period
exceeding 20 years. Teresa’s service has been with the Region 14
volunteer associations as a brigade delegate for over 15 years and
also service the Urban State Championships as a competitor for 6
years and most recently as a brigade delegate to the District 2 VFBV
Council and Secretary of District 2 VFBV Executive Council.
The brigade congratulates these three members as the first in the
history of the brigade to be presented with VFBV Certificates of
Service.

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade helped to raise
$2008 for today's Royal Childrens Hospital Appeal! Like every other
year, volunteer firefighters from Riddells Creek were on-hand and
shaking the donation tins at the front of the Riddells Creek Bakery
and at the Webbers Garden Centre during the first day of their
Easter plant sale.

We
would like to take this chance to thank those who donated to this
worthy cause. Also, it's important to note that such a success could
not have been made possible without the ongoing support of the team
at Webbers.

The end of daylight savings also marked that time of the year when
residents are urged to change their smoke alarm battery as they
change their clocks.

Given that daylight savings ended on Sunday 3rd April at 3am, all
residents are urged to replace their smoke alarm batteries if they
haven't already done so. More than 50 Australians die each year as a
result of accidental house fires and most of which occur between the
hours of 9pm to 6am. Working smoke detectors save many Victorian and
Australian lives each year by providing residents with early warning
of a fire in their home.

Firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade joined forces this
afternoon with police and ambulance personnel at a multi-vehicle car
accident on Riddell Road near Campbells Road. The brigade was
notified of the three-car accident shortly after 1.30pm this today.

Firefighters assisted police and ambulance personnel by treating the
injured occupants, managing traffic flows around the accident scene
and clearing the road after the occupants had been transported to
hospital. Some of the photographs taken at today's accident have
been included shown below (click to enlarge).

Fire Restrictions ended Monday 7 March
2011
- 11/03/2011

Thanks to one of the wettest summers on record, Fire Restrictions
for the Macedon Ranges Shire came to an end at 1am on Monday 7th
March, 2011. Residents in Riddells Creek should be reminded that
despite the end to the Fire Danger Period, council by-laws continue
to remain in force throughout the entire year which still limit what
we can and can't do as residents when it comes time to burning off.
Further information can be sourced from our
Fire Restrictions page.

Now Recruiting! Become a volunteer fire fighter at the Riddells
Creek Fire Brigade
- 13/02/2011

If you didn’t already know, Riddells Creek Fire Brigade is
completely derived of 100% volunteers. So that means that 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, thankless volunteers from the
Riddells Creek community take the time to run the Brigade, train to
improve their skills and respond to emergencies in order to
keep the residents of Riddells Creek and surrounding areas safe. We
are currently conducting a recruitment drive for operational members
who might fit in to any of the following categories:

Stay at home parent

Works within Riddells Creek

Retired

Shift worker

Able to respond to fires between the hours of 8am and 6pm

CFA members respond to a wide range of
emergencies including; fire, car accidents, hazardous materials
incidents, floods, search and rescue and much more. We make sure you
get the appropriate nationally accredited training and skills to
undertake all of the above. If you’ve been wondering how you can
really make a difference in your community then being an operational
response member of the Brigade may just be for you.

We’re currently recruiting now. Please
call Alex Batty on 0439 952 306 to register your interest or to get
further information. Further information about becoming a volunteer
firefighter with the CFA can be found at the
CFA website.

Rainfall event to affect state
-
03/02/2011

The BOM has
suggested that towns within our area can expect times of heavy
rainfall between now and Sunday evening. Please ensure that you have
prepared your property and take in to account the poor conditions
when driving. For more information visit
www.bom.gov.au

Power lines down spark small fire
- 01/02/2011

Around
1pm this afternoon during strong winds powerlines on Gap Rd were
brought down just South of Barclay Place. The downed
powerlines started a small grass and scrub fire which was spreading
quickly. An alert driver noticed the fire, called the fire brigade
and made all efforts to contain the fire. The Riddell brigade
attended with two fire tankers and assisted by a fire tanker from
Gisborne quickly extinguished the small fire and then dealt with the
still live high voltage powerlines which were sparking on the ground
and laying across residents driveways. The power company attended
and unfortunately had to shut down power to a large part of Riddell
whilst they repaired the lines. It is believed that a tree may have
fallen across the powerlines in the strong gusty winds.

Fire Danger high to very high-
29/01/2011

The next
four days are set to bring high to very high fire danger for the
central fire ban district. Whilst there is a lot of green grass at
the moment and despite the recent rain, there are many areas where
the bush and grassland have dried out sufficiently to support fire.
Residents are urged to use caution when operating machinery in these
dry areas and make sure fire suppression devices are carried if
required. If unsure contact the brigade or visit the
Fire
Restrictions section of our website for further information.

Flooding affects Riddell again -
13/01/2011

Once
again parts of Riddells Creek have flooded after several days of
heavy rain. Most parts of the town received over 150mm during the 4
day rain event with the peak on the evening of January 13th leading
into January 14th. Homes and businesses were flooded and some
roads were washed away or cut off by deep flowing water. The brigade
responded to numerous calls for assistance and even had to sand bag
the shed at the rear of the fire station when water began rising
from storm water drains and flowing across the property.

Hardware
failure takes down riddellcfa.com -
17/01/2011

Due to a hardware
failure with our hosting company, our website was down for several days.

We have now moved
the site to a new server and will now be running regular updates again.

2010
News

Santa is coming to town this Christmas Eve! -
21/12/2010

Santa
will be teaming up with firefighters from the Riddells Creek Fire
Brigade this Christmas Eve as he travels around in a fire truck to
visit all of the children in and around Riddells Creek. Parents
should be advised that this years annual Santa run will commence
from 3.30pm this Friday (Christmas Eve) and is likely to
conclude at approximately 6.30pm. During this time, Santa and his
team of helpers will endeavour to visit all of the roads and streets
within Riddells Creek. If required, further details on Santa's
journey around the town can be sought by calling the fire station on
5428 6000.

Brigade takes delivery of new command & control car -
14/12/2010

The
Riddells Creek Fire Brigade proudly took possession of their new
command and control vehicle today. The new 2010 model, 4WD Toyota
Hilux vehicle replaced the previous 2006 model which the
brigade had operated for the past 4 years. The vehicle is owned by
the Riddells Creek Fire Brigade, unlike the two other firefighting
appliances housed at Riddells Creek which are funded owned and
funded by the CFA.

The
upgrade of this vehicle was only made possible through the many
financial donations that the the fire brigade have received from the
residents of Riddells Creek. More information about this vehicle can
be found at our Appliances section.